


Not Another Sodding Quest

by safarialuna



Series: Pornalot 2017 [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic, Blood Kink, Chicken & Destiny, M/M, Moon Bears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 21:50:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11860329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/safarialuna/pseuds/safarialuna
Summary: Arthur doesn't want to go looking for a Moon Bear, but with Merlin by his side, he makes the most of it.





	Not Another Sodding Quest

**Author's Note:**

> Posted for Challenge One: (Con)Quest

“We should go home, Arthur.”

Bloody-awful Moon Bear. Third quest this month.

Moon Bears were capricious gods, wielding the mysterious power to lead kingdoms to utter ruin or immense prosperity. They lurked in mortal forests only when Venus was in alignment with the moon.

Arthur’d finally come home just that day only to be on another godforsaken quest. 

“And what makes you think that?” Arthur unsheathed his sword with a bit more force than necessary and hacked down branches left and right.

“This Moon Bear, from the way it chased us halfway across the Forests of Ascetir on our first day here, is leaning more to the ‘ruin’ part of the spectrum. Oh, and it being immune to my magic doesn’t help, either.”

Red and puffy, Merlin’s eyes glared back at him. If Arthur hadn’t known any better, he’d think Merlin had been crying through the night.

“I understand, Merlin,” Arthur said as he walked over and patted Merlin on the back. “You can go home by yourself, then.”

“Arthur, I need to come along, I need to protect—”

“What were you crying about last night, then?”

Merlin spun his head around, but Arthur kept a grip on Merlin’s shoulder. “Nothing. I wasn’t crying.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me it was over some servant girl who broke your heart.” He’d have to dismiss said servant girl, whoever she was. He already despised her. 

Arthur hadn’t been home enough, apparently. He’d clung to the brief snatches of time in Camelot, soaking in Merlin’s retorts and smiles like summer sunshine before leaving on never-ending quests and missions without him.

In those short days home, he’d been, not too successfully, trying to express his _feelings_. He was beginning to think the copious amounts of chicken he’d invited Merlin to eat with him had been too subtle.

He would give anything to abandon the Moon Bear in order to woo Merlin into his arms, now that it was just of the two of them, but, alas, duty before dallying.

Merlin broke free and looked confused. “There’s no girl.” 

“A man?” Arthur’s brows furrowed.

“Gods, _no_ ,” Merlin sputtered, his eyes threatening to bulge right out of his skull. “It’s not like that.”

Arthur raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Fine, then. Come along.”

Merlin seemed satisfied with Arthur’s answer, but still muttered something about “getting mauled.”

**

“How do we open it? Should we smash it?” Merlin said as he squinted at the small orb in his hands.

The Moon Bear had made a second appearance, slashing through Merlin’s defense magic and leaving him with a bloody nose and a swollen jaw (now magically healed), while Arthur had acquired an opaque glass ball it left behind before running away.

A storm raged on outside the cave’s entrance, rain coming down in torrential sheets as thunder rumbled like sleeping lions. A small fire crackled and snapped, warming their chilled bones.

“Alright, then. Give it a go,” Arthur urged as they sat huddled together.

Merlin squinted back at him.

Arthur waggled his fingers. “Your magic?”

“Oh,” Merlin said sheepishly. Eyes flashing gold, the power he called forth in that strange foreign tongue skittered along Arthur’s skin, charging the air and making the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to hold the urge to tackle Merlin to the ground and do _something_.

With a soft _click_ , the orb cracked open a sliver.

“Well, that was too easy,” Arthur huffed.

Merlin grinned, lifting up the lid in order to peek inside. He shut it. “You’re not going to like this.”

“Give it to me, Merlin.”

Merlin handed it over. 

Empty. 

Arthur tossed it across the cave, shattering it to pieces. Merlin didn’t look surprised.

After a moment, Arthur said, “I never want to hear the words ‘Moon Bear’ ever again.” 

“Same. Feels like my tooth’ll fall right out of my head.” Merlin winced as he touched his cheek.

“Didn’t you heal it? Let me see.” Arthur reached out. “Come now, Merlin. Say ‘Ah’—”

“Sod off, you prat. You are _not_ putting your hand—”

Arthur stuck his finger in Merlin’s mouth.

He squinted inside, feeling the tooth and subsequently hearing Merlin moan in pain. “It’s not going to fall out, idiot. It’s firmly”—when he pulled it out, bloody saliva strung from Merlin’s lips to his leather glove—“there.”

Overcome with a feeling of lust and curiosity, Arthur licked the glistening tip of his finger, tasting the musk of leather mixed with the tang of blood that went straight to his cock.

Merlin looked away, blushing to the tips of his ears. 

“Merlin,” Arthur said. Feeling bold, he let his nails travel over Merlin’s cheeks, his thumb teasing those pink lips, bits of blood staining them crimson. “Why were you crying last night?”

“If I’m being honest, I may have been missing a certain clotpole,” Merlin said.

“You mean a certain dashing prince.”

“One and the same,” Merlin smiled. He closed the distance between them, straddling Arthur’s hips.

Arthur’s hands traveled under Merlin’s tunic, relishing in the soft, still damp skin. Tracing his lips along Merlin’s ear, he whispered, “I want to explore every inch of you.” He teased Merlin’s nipple, pinching the hardened flesh between his fingers.

Merlin gasped. “Arthur?”

“Yes?”

“You didn’t need chicken to win me over, you know.” Merlin deftly untied the strings of Arthur’s trousers, and then his own.

“ _Merlin_ ,” Arthur panted as he intertwined his fingers with Merlin’s, both of them rubbing their cocks together, slick and hot and bloody perfect. 

Arthur finally kissed Merlin, sighing in relief of what felt like years of wanting and waiting. Beyond the sweet metallic flavour, he tasted something that reminded him of summer nights, earthy and magical.

With Merlin, he discovered life was a million and a half possibilities—all he had to do was want it, and with Merlin, he could achieve it.


End file.
